


seven devils

by florenceandthemachine



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Demons, Canon-Typical Violence, Drunkenness, Eddie Diaz Is A Good Father, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Family Issues, Family Reunions, Flirting, Getting Together, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, Lust, M/M, One Night Stands, Oral Sex, Reunions, Threats of Violence, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:26:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26799532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/florenceandthemachine/pseuds/florenceandthemachine
Summary: “You really love that kid, huh?” Buck murmured against his chest, and Eddie smiled, a soft chuckle making his chest (and Buck’s head) shake. “I do. He deserves everything I can give him and so much more. I’d do anything, give up anything, to make sure Chris is happy and safe.”“You’d... sell your car for him?” He asked, looking up as Eddie scoffed.“Please. In a heartbeat.”Buck rose a brow, fingers circling Eddie’s palm. “You’d sell your house?”“Without a doubt.” Eddie locked Buck’s fingers in his own, bringing their hands to his lips, kissing each of Buck’s knuckles.“Would you sell your soul?”
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 60
Kudos: 272





	1. all around you

**Author's Note:**

> first of all HAPPY HALLOWEEN.
> 
> second of all I want to thank [Cailee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eddiesdiaz/pseuds/eddiesdiaz) and [Eli](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elisela/pseuds/elisela) for supporting me writing in what started out as a spite fic.
> 
> third of all I know where this story is going to go (barely) but I don't know what roads it will take to get there—please be mindful of future tags.
> 
> xoxo flo

For the record, Eddie Diaz really and truly thought that he was going to have a good day when he woke up. 

He had actually slept that night, which was a great start. 

He finished his morning run in time to have breakfast with Chris and Carla, which was embarrassingly infrequent. 

He was still smiling, humming some song from one of Chris’ shows under his breath, when he went to check the mail that morning, and that was when everything went to shit. 

The simple “Condolences” card would have basically gone unnoticed in the stack of bills and junkmail, had it not been for the Texas zip code on the envelope. He thumbs the edge of the card, a frown across his face as he racks his brain—had anyone died recently? He didn’t think so, hadn’t heard from his aunt or his abuela, they hadn’t had any life or limb threatening calls in almost a month and a half. 

He opened the card slowly, eyes scanning over the block of text written on the left side of the card, his heart instantly kicking overdrive as he picked out a few words. 

The card was for Shannon. 

Shannon, who his parents were not exactly on the best of terms with. Shannon, who had responded to Eddie leaving in turn, who had divorced him less than twenty four hours before her death. 

Shannon who had been dead for a year, almost to the day. 

He almost, _almost_ couldn’t believe it, that his mother and father would be the kind of people who send death-anniversary-condolence cards, but those thoughts were stuck swirling around in his own guilt. Shannon had died a year ago and Eddie hadn’t even realized it. Sure, they had a tumultuous relationship at best, and he still missed her—especially missed her with Chris—but it still felt gross, realizing that he had spaced out what he felt should have been such an important milestone. 

He only barely scanned over the words “Chris” and “with us” and “for the best” before he slammed the card against his chest, his eyes wide and wild, only a second away from going full fight-or-flight because of a fucking greeting card. He didn’t want to believe that he was still going to be fighting against this, that he had to continue to fight against his parents for his son. They were doing better. _He_ was doing better. And for anyone to suggest, twelve months after the fact, that Shannon’s death would have been a decent reason for Eddie to give up custody...

Between calling out of work last minute and having to be reminded twice to kiss Chris goodbye when Carla brought him to school, Eddie knew that he wasn’t exactly the image of stability at this point—but he was pretty sure that could all be forgiven, considering his circumstances. 

Blindsided by an event that happened a year ago: check. 

Still only barely making ends meet and paying for his son’s needs: check.

Regularly feeling like an absolute failure in a personal, professional, and fatherly sense: fucking triple check.

Eddie’s only saving grace was that Chris had already planned on spending the night with Hen and Karen and Denny that evening, so Eddie could do the one thing he did best.

Better than anyone else. Better than anyone, ever.

Finding a random bar to get absolutely plastered in. 

\--

“It’s just, when I thought they couldn’t sink any fucking lower, they do. They act like she was no one when she was alive, and now that she’s dead I’m supposed to just hate her alongside them because they hate her cause she divorced me, but spoiler alert! She died anyway!” Eddie was saying, his face resting cheek down on the bar, the straight whiskey he had been sipping swirling around in its glass, the amber liquid refracting light over his face. He was alone in the bar, had been for two hours at least—his words might have been the slightest bit slurred, but the bartender seemed to be ever understanding, nodding his head as he wiped down the spot next to Eddie, what seemed to be the last of his closing duties.

His bartender, who was rapidly going up in Eddie’s opinion—not just because of his impeccable pours, and the fact that he was pretty cute (and yes, that was Eddie’s unbiased opinion), but because he was listening. He was actually listening as Eddie rambled on, more than just that passive grunt-and-nod that so many bartenders thought passed for actually paying attention to their clientele. 

“You know,” Bartender started, tapping his fingers on the bar, a steady rhythm that pulsed through Eddie’s cheek in a semi-comforting manner. “It’s okay that you didn’t hate her. Even after the divorce. Just because two people divorce, doesn’t mean they don’t love one another, just that... that they’re better apart than they are together.”

Oooh. That was a good point. It was wrong, but it was still a good point. Eddie rose his hand to counter balance himself, pushing into an upright position so he could take another swallow from the glass in front of him. “I didn’t love her, not at the end, but...” Eddie started, sipping and swallowing. “I loved what she was.”

The bartender leaned forward, raising a brow, and Eddie felt his eyes naturally drift from the small green gem that was hanging off of the chain around his neck to the beauty mark, dancing above his browbone, scrunched up as he scrutinized Eddie that much further. “And what was she?”

“A partner.” Eddie said easily, catching the surprise on the other's face. “She was my partner, even though I was a shitty one. And she was a friend, even though I was a shitty one. And she was such a good parent, and I’m—“

“I swear, if you say you’re a shitty parent I’m going to clock you with this bottle.”

Eddie laughed in spite of himself, his eyes trailing back down, somewhere around the bartender’s chest—Buck, his name tag said. Eddie was pretty sure he had been told that already. “Seriously, man, I’ve heard you talk more kindly about your kid from the time you were half a drink in than most people do when they’re sober.”

Eddie sighed, knocking the rest of his drink back, sliding the glass back to Buck. “Well, isn’t that how dads are supposed to be? Willing to take bubb—bulb—bullets for their kid?”

Buck snorted, swiping Eddie’s glass for a refill—only a finger this time, not three—Eddie was probably going to be cut off soon, much to his dismay. He wasn’t nearly as plastered as he wanted to be, and having to go to another bar was going to be a major fucking inconvenience. “Not mine.” Buck said, putting the bottle back on the shelf. “My dad would probably be more upset about a bullet going through any clothes he bought us than he would be about it actually going through us. Charming bastard, he was.”

Eddie sucked in a deep breath—to offer his condolences or maybe to cry, he wasn’t sure, because Buck waved it off before he could say one thing or the other. “It’s no big deal, it’s all said and done now. All you can do is be there for your kid as best as you can, and Eddie, I can already tell that you are.”

Eddie sighed as he let his head fall into his hand, lips buzzing as he exhaled, face smushing against his palm. “I hope so. I really want to be, I’d... fuck. I’d give anything to help my kid, to make sure he was safe, to... to make sure he would always be protected.”

Had Eddie been a tad more sober, or maybe a tad more attentive, he probably would have noticed the sudden flick of Buck’s eyes, or the way his wrist jerked to a sudden halt while he was cleaning a glass. He might have noticed the way Buck ran his tongue over his lips, and... well, okay, he definitely noticed that, and was pleased to see Buck’s lips turn into a smile.

“Hey, closing time is in about... now. You sober enough to go for a walk with me, or do you want me to call you a cab? Either way, I’m not letting you drive.”

Eddie pouted, reaching for his wallet in his jacket pocket, blinking in surprise as Buck waved him away. “Come on, you’ve had a rough... year, sounds like. I’ll consider it on the house.” 

Eddie felt his cheeks pink up, pulling his jacket on, smiling as he looked down to the bar for a moment. “Alright, well, I owe you one then.”

“Counting on that.” Buck said, his smile wide again, just barely on the right side of too-sharp and too-toothy. “Now, come on. Take a walk with me.”

\--

The cold Californian air (well, as cold as it got in California in March) did more to sober Eddie up than any amount of water, and he smiled as he shrugged his jacket a little tighter as Buck locked the door to the little bar he had spent the past few hours in. 

His smile grew as Buck finally made eye contact with him again, easily falling into line a half step ahead of Eddie as they started to walk, letting the bartender lead the way to wherever they were going.

“So, Eddie. How did a nice guy like you wind up in a bar like mine?” Given the half conversation they had in the bar, Eddie had no idea what kind of conversation Buck would be expecting—so he was surprised when Buck directed the topic toward himself, asking Eddie about where he grew up, what he did for work, his likes, his dislikes. It was cute, and benign, and Eddie felt his cheeks pink up in a way that wasn’t entirely related to the cold weather every time he caught Buck actually listening to him, actually giving a damn about his interests. 

“But, uh, enough about me.” Eddie said, his face bright red as he realized just how long he had been talking. It was unlike him, to say the least—while he wasn’t really a private person, he didn’t have that many opportunities to share himself with people, so now that he had one, he was definitely rambling. “What about you, what’s your story? You’ve already heard all about my parents and my son, any rugrats of your own wandering around?”

No sooner did than the words left Eddie’s mouth did he wish he could take them back—the flash of pain that crossed Buck’s face was only compounded by the way his shoulders hunched, drawing into himself like it was second nature. “Nah, felt like it was kind of selfish, you know? Risking fucking up a little kid just because I wanted one, when I have no idea how to care for one. My parents were... not great. I mean, they weren’t terrible, but they definitely didn’t want to be parents, and they just weren’t... there.” He started, his words slow as they fell back into step with one another. “But I have a sister. She’s so smart, she got out the minute she could and never looked back. She’s the one who gave me this, when I graduated high school.” 

Buck’s smile was nothing short of captivating, small and soft as he pulled the small stone Eddie had seen earlier out from his shirt, admiring the gem on the chain before he tucked it away again. “Anyway, she left, and then my dad died, and then my mom kind of lost it, to the point where my options were either move across the country or call an old priest and a young priest. So, don’t walk away thinking you won the award for crazy parent this evening.” Buck said, snorting in a way that was a little too familiar in the “I-make-light-of-my-problems-to-cope” tone that Eddie himself had mastered.

Keeping their pace even, Eddie sighed, looking up at the night sky. It was bright, obnoxiously so—between the city lights and the street lamps above him he couldn’t make out a single star, but he liked to imagine them anyway. The moon was full, at least, and that would do for the time being. “Bobby—err, my boss—says that your family, your real family, is the one you choose, not the one you’re born into. I don’t know if that helps, but… you can always choose something better, Buck. You deserve that much.” he finished with a shrug, raising a brow as he watched Buck shrink into himself, catching the motion out of the corner of his eye.

“You think so?” Buck asked, looking up at Eddie through his lashes (which was a truly impressive feat, considering Eddie was pretty sure Buck was taller than he was). “I do. Or at the very least, I like to believe it.” Eddie said as Buck smiled, bumping his shoulder playfully as they fell back into step, well aware of the way Buck’s eyes trailed over his lips as they curved into a smile of his own.

He wasn’t... stupid, after all. He may have had a busy life and a busy schedule, but Eddie knew when someone was flirting with him. It happened enough while they were out on calls—not that he wanted to toot his own horn—and while he had religiously turned down every single ‘opportunity’ while he was on the clock, that didn’t mean he was a stranger to a one night stand (especially after a few drinks).

And the way that Buck seemed to be looking at him was... delicious, to say the least.

He was caught by surprise when they came to a stop in front of the same bar they had left some half hour ago, his own curious expression met with Buck’s grin. “Well, look at that!” Buck said, looking above the bar toward a set of windows set back behind the neon sign. “Thanks for walking me home.”

Eddie couldn’t help but laugh as he nodded his head, dramatically waving an arm in front of him. “Well, it was my pleasure. And, um, thank you for talking with me, and for listening to me. It... You’ve turned a really shitty day into a much better night.” Eddie said, feeling a warmth spread through him as Buck flat out blushed.

He _blushed_. Motherfucker had no right being that cute. 

“Well, I’m glad that I could help.” Buck said with a smile, pulling him back into the present, looking up at what Eddie assumed was his apartment. “But, you know... the better night doesn’t have to be over yet. Do you want to come up for some coffee?”

Buck _probably_ had a very nice loft above his bar—but Eddie couldn’t be sure, because the moment the door shut behind him, Buck had him pressed up against it, lips pressed against his own and hands blazingly hot on his body. The only thing he could be sure of was that Buck had a great ass—a perfect ass, even because that was the only thing Eddie was holding on to before Buck picked him up, literally, and carried him up the stairs to bed.

Holy fuck, Eddie thought he was going to cum then and there.

Eddie wasn’t someone who was overwhelmed easily, but he found himself starting to lose himself as Buck’s teeth roamed around his body, leaving love bites on his neck, collar bone, down his stomach, and then oh— _oh—_ Eddie felt his cock sink into warm, wet heat, his eyes rolling back in his head as a guttural noise escaped his throat.

Buck just giggled. That _asshole_.

Nearly an hour later, Eddie was delightfully sore, body tugged in ways he didn’t think were possible without an aggressive amount of stretching. He struggled to catch his breath as Buck flopped over his chest, looking every bit as content as Eddie felt.

“Eddie, holy, uh,” Buck started, and Eddie was pleased to realize he wasn’t the only one who was panting. “Holy shit, that was amazing. Is there a, uh, round two in the stars, or do you have to go home soon? I don’t know about your kid...” Eddie blushed, feeling a little bit of warmth in his chest, entirely unrelated to the _physical_ presence of the man currently using him as a pillow. 

“No, he’s out for the night. But as far as round two goes, you may need to give me a few.” he answered with a laugh, all smiles as Buck pulled himself up to press a kiss to Eddie’s lips, sighing contentedly. His deeper breaths turned into a steady sigh as Buck started to trace patterns up and down his free arm, fingers dancing over the palm of one of his hands while the other wrapped around Buck’s shoulders.

“You really love that kid, huh?” Buck murmured against his chest, and Eddie smiled, a soft chuckle making his chest (and Buck’s head) shake. “I do. He deserves everything I can give him and so much more. I’d do anything, give up anything, to make sure Chris is happy and safe.”

Buck felt, more than he heard Eddie speak, the vibrations traveling through his cheek easily. “You’d... sell your car for him?” He asked, looking up as Eddie scoffed.

“Please. In a heartbeat.” 

Buck rose a brow, fingers circling Eddie’s palm. “You’d sell your house?”

“Without a doubt.” Eddie locked Buck’s fingers in his own, bringing their hands to his lips, kissing each of Buck’s knuckles as his naked body moved against him. Eddie let out an entirely undignified noise as Buck rolled suddenly, straddling his hips, one hand supporting his weight beside Eddie’s head, the other still linked with his own as he grinned.

“Would you sell your soul?” 

Eddie groaned in response as Buck rolled his hips down, still equally overstimulated and sensitive as he nodded his head quickly. “Course. Like I said, anything.”

Eddie felt his eyes slide half shut as Buck sucked in a breath, the expression on his face nothing short of elated. “Oh, _Eddie._ You won’t regret this, I promise.”he gushed, his eyes bright. “It’s a deal.”

Even as he felt the confusion grow, Eddie couldn’t help but smile as Buck leaned down into a kiss, his enthusiasm—even if Eddie wasn’t sure what it was about—was positively infectious. He felt another groan get pulled from his lips as his eyes slid shut, the sound drowned in Buck’s mouth, Buck’s body heavy on his own and his hand warm in Eddie’s, and...

...wait, no, not warm. Hot. Really hot.

In fact, his entire body was hot. Every inch where Buck touched him was suddenly burning, like he was a white hot coal pulled straight from the fire.

Eddie gasped and pushed back from the kiss, his lungs burning from the inside out, feeling like he was sucking in smoke, his head starting to spin.

“Eddie, it’s okay, just breathe...”

Buck’s voice was a thousand miles away as Eddie grit his teeth, willing his eyes to focus. The last thing he could see was Buck, still beaming at Eddie like he won the lottery; eyes so bright they were literally glowing, his smile far too sharp to be human, matching the two growths sprouting from his head, and Eddie—

Eddie finally broke, body arching away from the burning heat that was spread out on top of him, letting out what he thought was a scream as everything went black.


	2. and i take your soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter two! happy halloween 10th!

When Eddie started to wake up the next morning, it wasn’t to a start, jerking awake like he had after so many nightmares. It wasn’t to a pounding headache, as he had become accustomed to after a night with one too many drinks. Hell, it wasn’t even to his alarm clock, which would have gone off in about sixteen minutes if Eddie had the ability to crack an eye open and locate it. 

No, it was to a warm, wet heat, a barely there pressure at the base of his cock as a tongue wrapped around his head.

He wasn’t even sure if he was awake, honestly, eyes slipping back closed as he tried his best to avoid bucking into the mouth so willingly lapping him up. The noise that Eddie made was entirely not of his own accord as he felt himself get absolutely _swallowed_ , his lips curling into a smile.

Eddie managed to open his eyes halfway to stare down his body, another groan ripping through his chest as a pair of pretty eyes looked back up at him, and—

Wait, blue eyes. Who did he know with blue eyes?

Finally getting enough blood to his brain to think, Eddie hissed and sucked in a breath, nearly falling out of bed once he regained his own major motor control.

 _Buck_.

The bartender from last night was in his bed. 

The bartender from last night was in his bed, and was openly laughing at Eddie’s flustered panic, hiking up his sheets like he and Buck hadn’t already become explicitly familiar with one another’s body. 

Buck, who was licking his lips. Eddie absolutely did not watch his tongue.

“Good morning!”

Objectively? Sure, it was a good morning. He woke up with a blowjob, of course that was a good morning, but his now flagging erection was at the absolute back of his mind.

“What are you—why do I—where... wait, are we back in my house?”

Eddie’s panic trailed off as he snapped his head around, taking in the familiar scenery. It was definitely his room, but... he couldn’t remember how they had gotten there. Actually, come to think of it, he couldn’t remember most of last night—there were bits and pieces, but nothing made sense, nothing clicked together—even as he very resolutely stared at Buck’s face, doing his best to ignore his very naked body.

He wasn’t sure if it hurt, having Buck laugh at his confusion, but it certainly didn’t fucking help anything, even as Buck reached down to help him stand back up. “I thought it would be more comfortable if you woke up in your own home, I know that the contract an be really taxing on your poor mortal body.” Buck said, without an ounce of sarcasm as he pulled Eddie upright. 

Eddie pulled free from Buck’s grip once he was steady on his feet, immediately turning, trying to find a pair of shorts—briefs, pants, hell, at this point he would have settled for a swimsuit—finally pulling on a pair of boxers. “Okay, Buck, what the hell happened last night?” Eddie asked, vaguely aware that Buck was still naked as he followed Eddie into the kitchen, where—fuck, was that breakfast?

What the _fuck_ was going on?

“Okay, you seriously need to sit down and take a few deep breaths. After you passed out last night, I brought you home.” Buck said, and Eddie groaned, hiding his head in his hands. “Look, we can get to how you knew where I lived and got in here in the first place later. What... what happened before that?”

Buck blinked, looking like the question was literally the last thing he expected, his surprise melting into a teasing smile as he bent over the counter. He reached forward with a hand, sliding a finger beneath Eddie’s chin, tilting Eddie’s chin up with a laugh. “Don’t tell me you forgot the best part of the night.”

Eddie felt his face burn under Buck’s gaze, shaking his head. “No, I—you—stop distracting me! I meant about after, what the hell was all... that?”

Buck’s teasing smile didn’t fade—if anything it only widened, and he winked at Eddie as he opened the oven door, the scent of cinnamon and maple filling the kitchen as he reached into the oven. “Eddie, for me, that _was_ the best part of the night. We made a contract. You made it very clear to me what you wanted, I offered you my price, and you agreed. Cinnamon roll?”

For a moment, Eddie could only stare at the pan of rolls now sitting on his stovetop like they were the offending beings in whatever the fuck was going on, shoving himself away from the counter after a long moment. Buck sighed, plating one of the rolls for himself and sliding another over to where Eddie was sitting, taking a chunk out of his own as Eddie started to ramble.

“I’m dreaming.”

“Yeah, never heard that one before.”

“I am, Buck. I’m dreaming or maybe I was in an accident, or maybe—maybe you drugged me!” Eddie said, the hopeful tone of his own voice at complete odds with the offended look on Buck’s face. “First of all, that’s rude as hell, if you weren’t of sound mind then we never would have been able to seal the contract.” Buck started, leading Eddie back down to the barstool at the counter, pushing him to sit down, Eddie’s eyes unfortunately level with Buck’s very… muscular abdomen. “Second of all, will you please eat your breakfast? I realize that—“

“Oh _god_ why are you still naked.”

Buck sighed, shaking his head as he took a few steps back. “Well, excuse me for thinking that you actually liked this form. You seemed to enjoy it plenty last night...” he grumbled, and Eddie felt another flush cross over his cheeks. “But if you’d prefer, I can change. I can be taller, or maybe shorter?” Buck asked, and Eddie felt his jaw drop as Buck’s body shifted seamlessly, gaining and then losing inches like his body was made of rubber.

“I can be a brunette, if you prefer? Or a redhead. Pale skinned, or dark? If it would be easier for you, I can also take the form of someone from your memories. There’s a few people from your firehouse you get along with, I—”

“Not with your dick out, you don’t!” Eddie sputtered as he closed his eyes, feeling dizzy as he kept up with Buck’s instantaneous transformations, well aware that the only thing that would make this morning less comfortable would be if Buck suddenly took up Bobby or Chim’s body.

“...Oh, how about this!” Buck said, voice suddenly lighter, and Eddie was hesitant to open his eyes. Where Buck once stood, there was a smaller, lithe frame, dark hair trailing over her shoulders, hands on her hips easily—if it weren’t for the necklace around her neck, resting against her chest, Eddie would have thought there was an entirely different person in the room.

But no, it was still Buck. Just... lady Buck. Still very, very naked.

“No, your—your original form is fine, just, can you put on some shorts or something?” Eddie finally griped out, and Buck sighed, body melting away into what Eddie was familiar with, soft curves disappearing into firm musculature. 

“Trust me, Eddie, you would not like my original form, but fine. I’ll keep this. And _fine_ , I’ll put something on.” he said, like it was physically paining him to do so, fabric weaving into existence around his legs. “Now will you please eat? Everyone knows that cinnamon rolls are only good while warm.”

Eddie’s legs felt weak as he finally looked down at the cinnamon roll on the plates before him, hand shaking ever so slightly as he tore a chunk from it, chewing it slowly. It was warm, and gooey, and delicious, and somehow that was it, that was the final straw that sent Eddie crashing into his own body, somehow more real than anything else he had seen that morning. 

“This is real. What happened last night really happened.” he murmured to himself, chewing slowly before swallowing. “Buck, what... what happens next?”

Eddie couldn’t tell if Buck picked up on his voice wavering slightly as he spoke, or if Buck finally realized what Eddie was asking about, because his expression twisted from something supremely put out to a small smile, sliding his hand across the counter, letting it rest right beside Eddie’s—close enough to hold, though Eddie was supremely glad that he didn’t.

“Now, Eddie, I keep up my end of the deal. I will spend every moment, every ounce of my power—and that’s a lot of power—keeping Chris happy, and healthy, and safe. I can’t undo anything that’s been done,” he clarified, not that Eddie would have taken that risk even if it were an option, “but from here on out, no harm will fall to him. Of that, you have my word.”

Eddie struggled to look up to meet Buck’s face, but when he did, he found not a trace of lie, no suspicion, nothing that would have caused Eddie even the slightest doubt. He felt himself slump over the plate as he let out a breath, nodding his head, happy that at least that much weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

As he popped another piece of the roll into his mouth, Eddie’s voice was soft, chewing slowly. “So, what does that mean for me? My life is going to be a living hell now, but Chris will be safe and happy?” His eyes snapped up as Buck laughed again, shaking his head.

“Eddie, if I had any plan to make your life a living hell, would I really have woken you up by sucking your cock?”

Eddie almost choked.

“Anyway, no. You agreed to sell me your soul, which I collected last night. Besides, your kid loves you—making anything hard for you would not be cohesive with making life better for him. Turns out, keeping you happy and keeping Chris happy pretty much go hand in hand.”

Swallowing again, Eddie cleared his throat, turning on his stool as Buck finished off his own roll, sliding the dish of the rest of them into the fridge. “Wait, so... there’s no catch while I’m alive? I mean, after I’m dead, you’ll have my soul, sure, whatever, but there’s no other... requirements until then?”

Buck hummed as he popped his thumb into his mouth, sucking some icing off of his nail. Eddie was absolutely not watching.

“Well, even though you still have free will, and emotions, and all that shit, most people consider the loss of their soul as a pretty big deal, but I should have known you wouldn’t be normal about it.” Buck started, his voice strangely fond. “That aside, I have to stay close to you, as the contracted party, or to Chris, as the subject—let’s call it within shouting distance. I’ve already arranged to be at his school while he’s at school as a personal aid, so days are taken care of. Nights, I’ll hide away or whatever, I don’t care. I know he’s not going to be in any harms way while he’s with you.” Buck said with a shrug, either oblivious or ignoring the way that Eddie’s cheeks pinked up at the compliment. 

“Other than that, nope. No other needs, no wants, just a mission to keep Chris safe and happy and healthy, like you said. And like I said, that could include making you happy...” Eddie tensed up as he heard Buck’s voice dip low, into a growl that had filled Eddie’s ears all last night. Buck’s hand came down onto his shoulder, turning Eddie around on the barstool, standing in front of him in all his glory. Eddie thought for sure—not hoping, but not necessarily dreading—that Buck would kiss him when he leaned in, but instead, Buck’s lips met his forehead in a small peck.

“...but only if you’ll let me.”

Just like that, Buck was gone, walking out of Eddie’s space easily, like he hadn’t turned Eddie’s entire world upside down in the course of 24 hours. 

“Now hurry up and get dressed! We’ll pick up Chris from his sleepover, you can introduce us, and then you have to get to work.”

\--

For what it was worth, Eddie thought that he was taking this—all of this—well. Very well, honestly. 

“So, you’re a demon. Like, a prince of hell, thing that goes bump in the night, demon.”

“Demon, yes. Prince of Hell, absolutely not. As for bump in the night…”

“Never mind, god, forget I asked, you _pervert_.”

Sure, part of that might have been thanks to Buck, painfully willing to indulge every one of Buck’s encyclopedic questions, but Eddie still thought he deserved at least half of that credit. 

“How long have you been in the demon business, anyway?” 

“Just over ten years.”

“Wait, seriously? You’re not some ancient, mystic, all powerful—“

“Eddie, I’m literally a nineties kid, calm down.”

… Okay, maybe a little less than half the credit. Maybe closer to a third of the credit, but still. Credit.

“So, what do you do with my soul when you take it? Do you, like, eat it or whatever?”

“Are you—Eddie, no, that’s disgusting.”

To Buck’s credit, at least, he lasted a full week before he realized which of Eddie’s questions were serious, and which were utter bullshit.

“What? I’m curious!”

The weirdest part of all, by far, was how little Eddie’s life changed. He still went to work every day, he went out on calls, he came home to his kid.

And… Buck. 

It was a little alarming how easily Buck fit himself in their regular routine. It was literally like Buck had been there all along, sliding into the shoes that Eddie had been trying to fill with specialists, staffers, and his Abuela—Abuela, who liked Buck more than she liked Eddie, once she learned that he was the reason she was off of permanent Chris-catching duties, and would be able to just enjoy the time she spent with her great grandson. 

Buck had worn glasses when he met her, every ounce the good, state employed aid that would care for Chris in any way possible. _Glasses._ It wasn’t fair how cute that was. 

The biggest downside—which was insane to think about, considering that he had technically sold his fucking _soul_ , was the way that Buck looked at him. It was the way Buck looked when he ‘picked Chris up’ in the morning, in the way that his eyes followed Eddie whenever they were together, in the way that Buck would lean forward when Eddie would walk in the house after one of his shifts. He would lean in and smile, his voice would be low, and he would ask the same thing—every night, for nearly three weeks now. 

“Is there anything else I can do for you, Eddie?”

(Buck had called him Mister Diaz all of once, and Eddie almost swallowed his tongue—he put a quick stop to that.)

If that was the biggest downside, the biggest upside was, by far, how Chris and Buck got to interact with one another. Buck was basically a giant kid himself—he was young, Eddie had to continuously remind himself, likely Eddie’s age if not younger, and the way that he got along so easily with Chris… well, Eddie would be lying if he wasn’t a little jealous, to start. As selfish as it was to say, when Shannon had died, he was more worried about his son than anything else. Chris was soft, and he was smart, and he was sensitive—meaning, he was everything that Eddie wasn’t—and Eddie had to put in the time, double time, to make sure that he was giving Chris everything he possibly could. He did _everything_ he could, and even then, he was still worried he was fucking things up half the time.

But Buck, Buck had swooped into Chris’ life and Chris had a new best friend in zero seconds flat. 

Chris adored Buck, and honestly, if Buck was trying to hide the fact that the inverse was true, he was doing a shitty job of it. Any hesitancy that Eddie had initially (which was few to begin with) had been dispelled the moment that Buck had brought Chris to the station for lunch in that first, fateful week, happily chattering Eddie’s ear off about all the things he had learned at school thad day, and as a new bonus, how cool Buck was. 

“Dad, Buck says that seahorses can have a thousand babies at once, did you know?” Chris asked, almost levitating with excitement.

“Really? That seems like a lot of babies.” Eddie said, looking up at Buck, who looked appropriately pleased with himself.

“He also says that its the dad seahorses that carry the babies until they’re born, and then they have all their babies!” Chris said, talking happily between bites of a peanut butter sandwich. 

“Oh, does he now?”

Buck smiled innocently as Eddie rose a brow, his face flushing bright red at the look that Bosko was shooting him over Buck’s shoulder, very clearly looking between the three of them, turning on her heel before walking away.

Eddie loved Chris, and Chris had made Buck his best friend in the entire world—which is why it was easy one night, after Buck leaned in and asked Eddie, yet again, if there was anything else Buck could do for him…

“Stay for dinner.”

The look of pure surprise on Buck’s face? Honestly, Eddie would have sold his soul twice over. 

“I… Eddie, you don’t have to—“

Eddie sighed as he rolled his eyes, calling over his shoulder. “Hey Chris, you think we should have Buck stay for dinner?”

Chris’ response was as quick as it was exuberant, echoing from the living room as he leaned over to peek around the corner. “Yeah!”

Eddie smiled as he shrugged a shoulder, looking back to Buck. “Seems like it would make him pretty happy. That was the thing, right? Happy, healthy, et cetera, now come on. I may be a shit cook—“

“Oooh, you said a bad word!”

“—but I’ve always been good at ordering out.”

\--

“You know,” Eddie said, rinsing off a few plates as Chris diligently trudged himself down the hall to brush his teeth. “If I would have known that selling my soul would have been so beneficial, I would have done it forever ago.” 

He was already smiling, but the scandalized look that Buck shot him only made him smile wider. “Eddie, don’t joke about that! It’s your soul, you’re not supposed to want to lose it. And for the record, I’m a very scary demon, so if you could at least pretend to regret selling me your literal mortal soul I’d appreciate it, you ass.” 

Eddie had to turn his head to hide his smile as he shook his head. “I dunno, Buck. I’ve wound up with help for my kid, an immortal safety net, and I’m back in Abuela’s good graces, and all for the low low price of one soul. You still got the better end of the deal, though, you get to spend all day with Chris. That’s literally the dream.”

Eddie rose his brow as Buck snorted, shaking his head, idly scooping some lo mein into a Tupperware. “Eddie, if I knew just how hard it would be to keep Chris safe—you know I had to redirect a whole tsunami when you took him to the pier on your day off last week?” Buck asked, his smile a little smug, obviously proud of himself despite his complaint.

“Wait, what do you—there was a tsunami? What happened?”

“Oh, don’t worry. I had it wipe out some assholes private island further south along the coast. He had insurance, the island broke up the wave, and some lucky surfers caught some gnarly waves, it’s fine.” Buck said, popping a piece of chicken into his mouth as Eddie stared at him, mouth literally hanging open. “…you honestly think I’m supposed to regret my decision after hearing that? Fuck, walking into your bar was the best thing I’ve ever done.”

“Eddie…” Buck groaned, shaking his head as he threw a dish towel at Eddie’s head. “What? I’m serious, you’re like a… Buck?”

Eddie’s smile fell a bit as he looked over to Buck, hand still extended in his throw, his eyes wide and glassy, the bright blue of his irises pulsing in the light of the kitchen. 

“Buck?”

“Eddie, are you expecting company?” Buck’s voice was low, staring through what Eddie realized were the walls between the kitchen and the front door, a half second before there was a loud knock, echoing through the now emptied living room. 

Eddie frowned as he walked to the front door, Buck’s voice guiding him (“two people, a man and a woman, no weapons—“ “Buck, stay in the kitchen.”) as he looked through the peephole, his heart sinking into his stomach as he opened the door. 

“Mom? Dad, what—what are you doing here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [come scream at me on tumblr.](https://florenceandthemachine.tumblr.com)


	3. holy water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m scared, Buck. The last time I saw my parents they tried to... to take him. And I think they’re going to try again, I think they’re going to—“
> 
> Eddie looked down at his hands as he felt the fabric of the shirt he was holding tear beneath his fingertips, staring at the hole, like he couldn’t believe he had just worried a hole through it. He looked up to Buck, guilt and misery written on his face as he tossed the garment aside, hiding his face in his hands as he rubbed at his eyes, dragging his hands down his face shortly after. 
> 
> “Eddie, listen.” Eddie didn’t realize he was spiraling until Buck stepped forward, grabbing his hands and giving a firm squeeze as he shook his head. When Eddie looked up again, all he could see was Buck—eyes glowing, mouth set, teeth maybe just a little sharper than they were a moment before. “I will never, ever let them—or anyone else—take him from you. Ever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy chapter! yes I know I missed last week and I've updated the chapter count to reflect. my state is cold as fuck and also somehow on fire and the Big Sad hit me real hard so I had to take a weekend to be dead. love you all.  
> xoxo flo

”Alright, Eddie.”

No, it was not alright. It was not alright at all.

“I’m starting to worry about you.”

Eddie felt his bed dip as Buck sat beside him, groaning in response, rolling over in a desperate attempt to hide his shame.

“Chris is about ready to call in for a rope rescue, and you’re still not out of bed. I may not understand why you’re meeting your parents for lunch today, but you are, so get up.”And therein lied his shame. Eddie didn’t need a reminder. His parents had spent all of ten minutes in his living room the night prior—annoyingly vague about why they were there in the first place, insisting that even though they were just ‘passing through’ they still wanted to spend some time with their grandson. 

Not their son. Just their grandson. Which was totally fine and didn’t bother Eddie at all. 

Eddie had spent every one of those ten minutes clenching his teeth so hard he thought he would pop a crown, but ultimately agreed to their request (maybe a little quicker than he would have liked, but he had done less for more when it came to making sure Chris stayed in bed). As bad as that was, though, he wasn’t sure what was worse—the fact that he was so hesitant to spend some time with his parents, or the fact that the moment they left, all he felt was guilt. 

He knew that he wasn’t the crazy one here; but even then, it was hard to ignore how it sounded, feeling so unhappy—so hesitant—to spend time with his own parents. He knew exactly how it looked for him, because what kind of son was chomping at the bit to rip his own parents head off, just for wanting to spend some time with their family?

It should have been a perfectly reasonable request. It should have been something Eddie was happy to do. It should not have been something that set Eddie’s teeth on edge, that tripped up his sixth sense like no other, the soldier's sense that he had developed in Afghanistan buzzing in the base of his skull like a beehive. It felt like something was about to go incredibly wrong, and it felt fucking disgusting to have that reaction triggered by his own parents, but he couldn’t deny that he was afraid history would repeat itself.

Maybe he really was a garbage person.

The guilt only got worse, surprise surprise, after they left and Eddie discovered Buck standing in the kitchen, where Eddie had told him to stay. He had all but forgotten about Buck. How could he forget an entire person? 

Garbage person, strike two.

Eddie wound himself in his blanket even tighter, guilt and shame doing little to motivate him on getting out of bed, but his silence was short lived as his blanket burst into flames just long enough for him to yelp and bolt upright before it completely disintegrated. “You—that’s not—you cheater!”

Buck just laughed, the bastard, idly examining the nails on one hand as he shoved Eddie out of bed with the other. “I’m a demon, you dolt. Of course I cheated. Now,” he started, pushing Eddie upright and all but herding him toward the closet, “why don’t you get dressed and tell me what’s really going on?”

Eddie felt a lump sink into his stomach as he stood up, a harsh breath coming out of his nose as he yanked a pair of pants off of a hanger.

“I’m scared, Buck.”

Either out of shock or respect, Buck remained silent, and Eddie could only spare a glance over his shoulder before he ducked his head, dressing haphazardly. “The last time I saw my parents they tried to... to take him. They were trying to take him from me, and my response was to literally pack Chris up and move across the country. They didn’t reach out for years—it’s been _years,_ Buck—not when Abuela broke her hip, not when Chris changed schools, not when Shannon died. A year goes by, and nothing. And then they send a card, and then I meet you, and now they’re just... here again. And I think they’re going to try again, I think they’re going to—“

Eddie looked down at his hands as he felt the fabric of the shirt he was holding tear beneath his fingertips, staring at the hole, like he couldn’t believe he had just worried a hole through it. He looked up to Buck, guilt and misery written on his face as he tossed the garment aside, hiding his face in his hands as he rubbed at his eyes, dragging his hands down his face shortly after. 

“You are going to lunch and I’ll be nearby, but Eddie, listen.” Eddie didn’t realize he was spiraling until Buck stepped forward, grabbing his hands and giving a firm squeeze as he shook his head. When Eddie looked up again, all he could see was Buck—eyes glowing, mouth set, teeth maybe just a little sharper than they were a moment before. “I will never, ever let them—or anyone else—take him from you. Ever.” 

\--

“…and Mark says that Washington has one of the biggest volcanoes, but I don’t think that’s true. Ms. Flores and Mr. Beeman says that Mars has volcanoes too, even bigger than any of the ones we have here on Earth!” 

“I’m sure it does, buddy. Maybe that’s why it’s the red planet? All the magma?”

“No, Dad, the magma is underground, when the volcano erupts it turns into—hey!” Eddie had a smile on his face as he reached over to steal one of Chris’ fries, grinning as his kid squawked, pushing his dads’ hand away playfully. Their afternoon together had started easy enough; Chris had stolen the show easily, directing the conversation through himself in that effortless way kids managed to do, talking about his school, his friends, his day to day. To this day, Eddie would never understand how this kid had him wrapped around his finger so easily—all it took was the bat of an eye for Eddie to swing through the drive through on the way to the park, and suddenly he was meeting his parents at a picnic table near the playground with arms full of chicken tenders and fries. 

Not a great look. Whatever.

Chris had been every bit as ecstatic to see his grandparents as Eddie knew (feared?) he would be, propelling himself forward at a speed that would have made Eddie panic had Buck not spent some significant time over the past few months working on Chris’ physical therapy. 

He wasn’t sure if it was a blessing or a curse, how easily it was to use his son as a distraction from whatever nightmarish scenario his parents wanted to bring up, but even that grateful moment was cut short as his father chuckled, reaching forward to tousle Chris’ hair playfully.

“Mark, Flores, Beeman, I can’t even keep up anymore kiddo. Sounds like you’ve had a busy third grade in your new scho—“

“Fourth grade, dad.”

“What?”

“Fourth grade, Dad. Chris is in fourth grade.” 

Eddie regretted the words the moment they left his mouth. As good as it felt to even attempt to put his father in his place, he could feel the exact moment that both of his parents swiveled their laser-like attention to him. They were smiling, sure, but Eddie felt like he was back to being a kid again, waiting for the inevitable slip up that would get him grounded. 

“Fourth grade, right.” Eddie smiled tensely as his father nodded, gesturing between he and his son. “Of course, we would know that if you bothered to call once in a while. We don’t hear from you on Christmas, birthdays, nothing.

“You know, you can always call us too, not send some letter on the anniversary of my wife’s death like a complete—”

“If we didn’t hear from Pepa regularly, how would we know that you and Chris were even alive?”

“Dad—“

“But we’re doing good.”

Eddie felt his jaw click shut as Chris spoke, his heart swelling with pride as both of his parents turned their gaze again. His mother at least had the decency to look mildly guilty—his father, no such luck. 

“Of course you are, kiddo. We’re just trying to make sure that your dad has enough help. There’s been a lot of big changes since you both left Texas—two new schools, new grades, new teachers, your father’s new job, and—“

 _The death of Chris’ mother_ , Eddie’s mind provided, angry once again that Shannon was being so disregarded by people who were supposed to be her family.

“Yeah, but we’re still doing good.” Chris said, not looking up from the fries he was dunking into ketchup, smearing only a little bit on his upper lip as he shoved the handful into his mouth. “Dad says that sometimes the hard things make us stronger, but things aren’t even that hard. And Buck says that I have a lot of, um. Initiative! And they both say I’m perfect, so that’s good.”

Eddie _didn’t_ hesitate. He didn’t freeze as his parents turned back over to him, and he certainly didn’t feel his heart sink into his stomach. He just… was trying to un-swallow his tongue, was all. Buck had been the one topic that they had somehow danced around, and Eddie wasn’t sure if he should have been thankful or not that Chris ripped that bandaid off. 

He was afraid, to be honest, of that particular aspect of their new lives coming to light—there were few wounds that Eddie’s parents loved rubbing salt in more than his parenting and his financial situation, and suggesting that he had private help for Chris? That was certainly something that hit both of their favorite topics. 

“Buck?”

Even if, you know, he had sold his soul instead of provided a monthly stipend.

“Who is Buck?”

“Buck’s great!” Eddie felt himself finally breathe as Chris picked up the slack, his cheerful demeanor impervious to the doom and gloom swarming around both of his grandparents right now. “He’s really smart, and he’s super nice. Plus he makes Dad laugh, which is also nice. And he taught me how to make cootie-catchers! Did you know that they can see into the future?”

Eddie wasn’t panicking. He definitely wasn’t panicking. He definitely wasn’t looking between his mother and his father, trying desperately to come up with something, some excuse, some way to explain the strange name that called Chris perfect and made him laugh.

...Buck really did know how to make him laugh, though. And he did love Chris, that much was clear. And those two thoughts were the only things buzzing around in his head when he opened his fat mouth.

“Edmundo, who is—“

“Buck is my boyfriend.”

You could have heard a pin drop in the moment afterward—his father turned a lovely complexion of purple and red while his mother looked like she had literally seen a ghost, which, hey! Not that far off from the truth. Eddie wasn’t sure if he was just in shock, or if he was having a stroke, or what, but he suddenly felt heavy, grounded for the first time all day, firmly planted in the moment.

So, Eddie decided that Buck was, as of ten seconds ago, his boyfriend. It… made sense, in a way. Fuck, they were basically co-parenting his kid. Chris absolutely adored Buck. And Eddie knew they were sexually and romantically compatible, hell, he knew Buck intimately from his teeth right down to—

“Buck is your _what_ —”

“Buck!”

Eddie was getting very, very tired of being caught by surprise, so it was actually exhausting to have yet another rug pulled out from under him. He turned his head as Chris called out and almost fell out of his seat, seeing who else but the demon in question striding toward them, smiling like the sun,

Honestly, at this point, Eddie should have expected yet another whiplash, but nothing could have prepared him to turn around and see Buck, striding toward him with a big smile on his face, wearing what Eddie could only describe as a “meet the parents” outfit.

If there was another reason as to why Buck would be wearing a sweater vest in California, Eddie would love to hear it.

At the very least, he wasn’t the only one who was shocked. His parents had similar slack jawed looks on their faces as Chris raced toward Buck, who easily wrapped Chris in a huge hug with a “Hey, Superman!” before setting Chris on his hip easily. 

Eddie didn’t realize that he was up until he was already moving, trying to think of how he could explain this, but Buck was quick on the draw—keeping Chris balanced in one arm, he drew Eddie in easily with the other, kissing his cheek, murmuring against his skin easily. 

“Thought you could use some backup from your boyfriend.” 

...oh, right. Demon. Probably heard the whole thing. Cool, that was definitely a cool thing and not embarrassing at all. Eddie felt his own hand fall into Buck’s as they started to walk back toward his parents, a weight writhing in his stomach, only partially subdued by the warmth burning pleasantly through his bones from the small contact he shared with Buck, looking over as Buck set Chris back down, grinning at the giggling ten year old like he wanted nothing more out of this life.

“Mom, Dad, this is Buck. Buck, these are my parents.” Eddie was half tempted to let the moment stew in a silent awkwardness before starting introductions, but Buck spoke up before he could do anything, extending his now-free hand to Eddie’s father first. “Evan Buckley, Eddie’s told me a lot about you. Glad to meet you both.” 

Huh. Eddie never thought to even ask if Buck had a first and last name. He always thought it was just, ‘Buck’.

It was comforting for him to see the good, Catholic guilt push both of his parents to accept the greeting with an incredibly pained smile and a handshake of their own, as much as he knew they both wanted to pretend he wasn’t there. 

“So! Evan.” His mother started, always the diplomat. “What do you do?”

\--

“I’ve known I was bisexual from, like, sophomore year. I brought boyfriends home in highschool! Why is this so hard for you to wrap your head around?” 

Long since abandoning the idea of civility, Eddie’s voice was tired, watching as Buck pushed Chris on the swingset across the park from their little picnic bench. Chris had all but dragged Buck over there, subconsciously (or maybe consciously, though Eddie hated thinking of that) feeling when Eddie needed some time to yell at his parents.

Which he definitely, _definitely_ wanted to do. Because Buck was a fucking delight, he answered every question perfectly, he complimented, he flattered, he smiled, and his parents had given him absolutely nothing back.

Now, he was actually finding himself… jealous. Because he would have sold his fucking left leg to just be over _there_ , with his kid and his… Buck, instead of here, with the firing squad. Watching the two of them together was nice, though, definitely a memory he would treasure later—right now, it was providing just enough serotonin to keep him from jumping off a bridge.

“Because you’re not like that, not really!” His mother’s voice was pleading where his fathers had been firm, but Eddie couldn’t really tell the difference between the two when they were both parroting each other. “Eddito, you can’t expect us to believe this is just... happening now. In highschool, that was one thing. I am your mother, we are your parents. No one knows you better than we do!”

Eddie threw his hands into the air, turning it into a wave at the last moment when Chris looked over, trying to keep his face relatively neutral. “Mom, you don’t know the first thing about me, apparently, but I’m starting to think that might go both ways. Maybe I don’t know the two of you, either. For starters, I had no idea my parents were so fucking mean.”

The innocent look his father shot back at him made him want to puke. “Eddie, I can’t help it if pointing out the truth seems a little mean to you. That woman leaves you—”

“That woman was my wife, and she died, next topic.”

“—leaves you,” his father repeated, ignoring what Eddie had said yet again, “and now I’m supposed to believe that you, what. Decided that instead of finding someone who could give Chris what he needs, you just looked for the first man waving a rainbow flag and that was that?”

“Dad, I swear to God, if you insult Buck again we’re done for the day.”

If Eddie was surprised by his own assertiveness, he was alone in that—his father wasted no time in scoffing, shaking his head. 

“I have every right to criticize someone spending that much time with my grandson, Edmundo. When was the last time you and Chris went to service? Because if it got around that you were hanging around with someone like _that_ —"

Honestly, there was a certain level of irony here that Eddie had to appreciate. His conservative, religious parents didn’t like his boyfriend (and, wait, how had Eddie attached Buck to that word so easily?)—not because he was a literal demon from Hell, which would have been a perfectly reasonable thing for two good, God fearing Christians to dislike, but because he was a man. 

“Hey, Chris, we gotta get going! Come say bye, buddie!”

All that aside, the stunned silence that followed as his father struggled to find his voice was sweet, _so_ sweet, even if it was incredibly short lived.

“Really, Eddie? One little disagreement and you’re just going to walk away? We don’t see Chris for two years, and the first time we visit is when you decide to—”

“Chris is going to come over and say goodbye.” Eddie interrupted, voice dangerously low as he looked up to where Buck was helping him down from the jungle gym. “If you try and play him against me with this, you will lose. If you try to play him against Buck, you will lose and I will laugh at you. But we are going home now, and if you give him any grief about that, if you try to make him feel bad that _you_ don’t come up to visit more often, if you do anything that puts a frown on his face, that’s it. You will never see him again. Ever. And I’ve already kept one promise to you once in the past five minutes, you wanna push for two?” 

Eddie wasn’t sure if he was burning that bridge or crossing it, but he was all smiles when Buck and Chris rejoined them, easily slotting himself against Buck’s side as his mother and father each hugged and kissed Chris’ head. Eddie may have let his eagle eye slide a little bit—he could tell my Chris’ giggling protests that they weren’t saying anything uncouth, and even if they were, he knew Buck would put a stop to it before anything else. 

Waiting until his mother released Chris, Eddie leaned and kissed Buck on the cheek, tilting his head back to the truck. “Chris, you wanna go with Buck and get buckled in? I’m gonna walk your grandparents to their car.” 

Chris took off happily with Buck in tow, and Eddie allowed himself a moment to feel all warm inside watching Buck take Chris’ hand happily as they walked away before he had to turn and face his parents once more. He wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or not that his mother was first to speak, pleading with him while his father unlocked and started their car. “You don’t need to be so sneaky to talk to us, Eddito. You know your father and I just worry.” 

“If you want to talk sneaky, let’s talk about your spontaneous road trip to Los Angeles. Have you talked to Abuela? Or Pepa? Because Buck’s met them both, and they both love him. Have you even thought about visiting with them while you’re out here?” Eddie asked, the look on her face answer enough. Eddie sighed, shaking his head as he turned to his father, waiting to see what kind of explanation he would try and bury this in. “You dragged Mom a thousand miles just to interrogate me but you won’t even see the rest of the family?” 

He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end as his mother shut the door to the passengers seat of the car, and Eddie found himself wishing he could just tune this entire topic out as easily as she seemed to when his father met this gaze again.

“I am just trying to get you to do what is right for Chris.”

“That’s just it! I am what’s best for Chris, and I don’t understand why you can’t accept that. He’s my kid, _mine_ , and if you can’t trust me to do what’s best for him,” Eddie paused, “then I don’t know what I can do to get that across.”

He shook his head as he started to walk back to his car. He had really, really hoped that would be the end of it, but he was well aware that would require luck, which he did not have, his father's voice calling after him making that painfully clear.

“You don’t know what you’re doing, Eddie. When your little… mistake comes crashing down, we will be the only ones here for Chris! You can’t just turn your back on family!” Eddie felt his hackles rise as he walked away, ears ringing as he dug his heel into the dirt and looked over his shoulder.

“You turned your back on us—on _me_ —a long time ago.” Eddie’s voice was low as he opened his door, slumping into the driver seat like a string had been cut, hands shaking as he started the truck.

\--

“What was your family like?” 

Eddie’s voice was soft from his place against Buck’s side, tucked up under one of Buck’s arms, the warmth from the demon eliminating any need for a blanket. 

Eddie had made it exactly three blocks (just long enough to be out of view of his parents) before Buck had demanded he pull the car over so they could switch. He was more than happy to give up any responsibility, sliding into the back seat beside his kid, letting himself be completely engrossed in whatever Chris was listening to for the rest of the ride home.

Buck had been the one who drove them home, made dinner, entertained Chris while Eddie showered. Buck was the one who helped with everything along the way just like he always did. And now Buck was literally, literally anchoring him into reality, a comforting weight along Eddie’s side.

He couldn’t tell what Marvel movie was on—honestly, he had kind of stopped caring about any of them after Black Panther—but they were still Chris’ favorite, and he was sure that Chris would have been livid at them for talking if he hadn’t fallen asleep in the first five minutes of the movie. He wanted to save the moment like a snapshot forever; Chris’ head against Buck’s thigh, sprawled out over the both of their laps, his soft snores doing little to mask Eddie’s question (or Buck’s snort in return). “Eddie, my parents were like... completely crazy. Yours are getting up there, but mine were insane. My mom...” Buck shut his mouth as Chris shifted, waiting until he was settled to resume. 

“My mom is the reason I got into this position in the first place.”

Eddie felt his face fall as Buck spoke, repositioning himself to sit up a little straighter beside Buck, eyes trained to the demons’ face. Buck was smiling, a sense of bitter irony on his face as he pushed some hair from Chris’ forehead. “When my dad died, my mom... didn’t take it well. She kind of fell off the deep end. Maddie was lucky, she got out before the shit hit the fan. Anyway, my mom and I tried everything—therapy, grief counseling, the power of prayer—seriously.” Buck said, a smile on his face as Eddie laughed, shoulders shaking. 

“You’re such an ass.” Buck said, but he was smiling as well, shaking his head. “Anyway, when that didn’t work, my mom tried the other route. She was, like, off the deep end at that point. Talismans, ouija boards, drugging herself up to talk to the dead. I probably should have turned around when I came home to find a pentagram painted on the floor, but.” 

Buck shrugged like this was the easiest thing in the world to announce, but Eddie had long since stopped laughing, his jaw a little slack. “Oh, Buck...” He hated how weak his voice sounded, but Buck brushed it off, continuing on.

“No big deal. She sucked at Latin, turns out. I got these devilishly good looks, and she got torn apart by hellfire.” Eddie choked on a laugh as Buck beamed at him, because of course he would be making a pun at a time like this. He stifled the rest of his laugh as Buck squeezed him a little tighter, shaking his head as Chris let out another little snore. 

It was easy enough to maneuver Chris into his arms, carrying him to his bedroom, though he certainly wasn’t about to object to Buck’s abject closeness, less than a half step behind Eddie as he put Chris to bed. It wasn’t until he stood to leave did he actually see the look on Buck’s face as he tousled Chris’ hair and said goodnight; it was incredibly soft, dopey even, and the only reason Eddie could make that comparison is because Hen had told him plenty of times that was the same way he looked at Chris.

He just never thought he would see that look on someone else.

Eddie kept his voice low as he closed Chris’ door, starting the walk back to his own room slowly, swaying easily in step beside Buck as he scratched at his head. “Do you remember, when we met, you told me—“

“How incredibly hot you were, how good you were with your tongue, how—“

“Jesus, Buck, no, you fucking pervert. I was going to say, you told me that I wasn’t being normal about this.” Eddie said, and Buck hummed, his hand idly reaching out toward Eddie’s. “What are most of your contracts like?”

Buck snorted as he tugged Eddie into the bedroom, turning off the television, the lights, even locking the front door with a wave of his hand. “I’ve never fucked another contract, if that’s what you’re asking.” he started, pulling the sheets down with another wave and a laugh as Eddie threw his shirt at Buck’s head. “God, Eddie, they’re fucking assholes. Everyone’s power hungry, or money hungry, or just stupid as fuck, seriously. In like, a whole decade, I’ve never had anyone make a contract for someone else before. But you…”

Eddie looked up as Buck pulled him closer again, planting a kiss on his lips. Part of Eddie wanted to shy away, wanted to say the boyfriend thing had all but been an act, but he had given up on that about thirty seconds after Buck told his father to fuck off.

“Even when you were drunk, you only cared about what was best for your son. That’s why it was so easy for me to make a contract with you. Seeing how good of a person you were, how much you loved your kid? No question.” 

Buck’s voice had dropped down low as he sunk into the bed, making grabby hands at Eddie until he followed suit, finding himself fitting perfectly in the crook of Buck’s shoulder, resolutely not thinking about the flat plain of muscle beneath his hand as he wrapped an arm around Buck’s midsection. Eddie felt his eyes wander across Buck’s face, his lips, the smooth line of his neck to the little gem on his necklace. “You really think I’m a good father?”

“Eddie, come on.”

When he looked back up at Buck’s face, Eddie felt a spark burn through his spine, meeting Buck’s glowing eyes for the third time in three months and the second time that day. Eddie wasn’t sure who moved (okay, he was definitely the one who had moved) but the kiss was soft, a barely there brush of lips, a pressure that set Eddie’s lips on fire. 

“You’re amazing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> literal conversation between [Eli](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elisela/pseuds/elisela) and myself:  
> me, an idiot: okay I have no idea how to get this pivot point in this chapter.  
> Eli, a genius: so don't put it in this chapter?  
> me, moronic: ....oh shit.  
>  [come scream at me on tumblr.](https://florenceandthemachine.tumblr.com)


	4. smoke you out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So, sending Chris to Abuela’s for the night? I don’t suppose that means you have plans for me, preferably something involving the both of us and absolutely zero clothing, or maybe those tight jeans I love, or _maybe_ —” 
> 
> Eddie felt another moan pulled out of his lips as he leaned in to claim Buck’s lips for his own, pulling away before he could get even more distracted. “Not tonight, no, we’re not staying in.”
> 
> “Eddie, no, why not?” Buck’s pout was audible as Eddie shook his head, trying to get something coherent into his brain beyond the way Buck’s lips tasted.
> 
> “Because we have plans, you dirty old pervert, so zip your fly and go put on a nice shirt.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE GRAND HALLOWEEN TWO PART FINALE

“Dad!”

“Chris!”

Coming home to his kid was easily the best part of Eddie’s day. It always had been and it always would be. Somehow, though, Buck had made it even better; because now, he got to come home to his kid and his Buck. 

(His Buck, which he still wasn’t really sure how to define. Sure, it sounded all fine and good to say ‘boyfriend’, but something about the whole selling-a-soul-thing made ‘boyfriend’ feel inadequate. So, ‘his Buck’ would do.)

“Me and Buck are building a castle!” Scooping Chris into his arms as he closed the front door with his foot, Eddie grinned as he kissed his head, ignoring the giggled protests from his son as he started his motor mouthed recap, squirming out of his fathers arms to make his way back to the living room, where Buck was flopped out over the couch, a startlingly thick Lego manual spread out over his chest. Saying it was a castle was… a bit presumptuous, maybe, the pieces littering the floor were more of a blue-grey pile than anything else, but the last time Buck had tried to will the pieces to go together on their own, Chris had given him the cold shoulder for a week for ‘cheating’.

Eddie wasn’t sure what was funnier—the thought that you could cheat at Legos, or a full on demon following a ten year old around like a puppy begging for forgiveness. 

“A castle, sounds fun! Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to spend the night at Abuela’s, but if you’re busy with your castle…”

“No, I wanna go to Abuela’s!” Chris gasped as he stood back up, starting the walk back to his room. That was another unexpected thing that Eddie had come to love—when he didn’t have to spend so much time at Abuela’s, getting to spend the night with her became something to look forward to, not some place he was stuck while Eddie was on an overnight shift.

Buck let out a groan of relief as he flung the instruction guide across the living room, rubbing his eyes as he sat up, tilting his head toward Eddie as Eddie leaned down to give him a kiss. 

“A castle, huh?”

“Eddie, don’t even start. We’ve been at it for hours. At least twenty minutes have been spent searching for the elusive clear one by four block. If I would have known he would have given up to go to Abuela’s, I would have suggested that a half hour ago.” Buck said with a pout, stretching his arms over his head as he stood up, arm looping around Eddie’s shoulders to pull him in for a good, proper kiss. 

Eddie felt a very unmanly noise pulled from his chest as Buck pulled him close, only managing to catch his breath for a half a minute before Buck had their foreheads pressed together, a growl on his voice. “So, sending Chris to Abuela’s for the night? I don’t suppose that means you have plans for me, preferably something involving the both of us and absolutely zero clothing, or maybe those tight jeans I love, or _maybe_ —” 

Eddie felt another moan pulled out of his lips as he leaned in to claim Buck’s lips for his own, pulling away before he could get even more distracted. “Not tonight, no, we’re not staying in.”

“Eddie, no, why not?” Buck’s pout was audible as Eddie shook his head, trying to get something coherent into his brain beyond the way Buck’s lips tasted.

“Because we have plans, you dirty old pervert, so zip your fly and go put on a nice shirt.” Eddie said, grinning as he squeezed Buck’s ass, ignoring his resounding squawk as he headed Buck back to his own bedroom. “Wait, what? We have plans? What’s going on?”

“Like I said, we have plans.” Eddie said with a grin, leaning in to check on Chris’ progress before following Buck into his bedroom, a small smile playing over his lips as he watched Buck start to go through a few of his drawers. He watched for a moment, as mesmerized as ever by the sight of fabric weaving itself over Buck’s torso and arms, pulling himself back to reality as he started to pull out a few shirts of his own, forced to dress in the traditional way. “Bobby invited the 118 out for drinks for their anniversary, and you, my dear, are included in that invitation.” Eddie said with a smile as he tossed a few shirt options to the bed, arms wrapping around Buck’s middle easily, kissing the soft spot behind his ear. 

He sighed as Buck froze in his arms, squeezing around his middle comfortingly as Buck turned, a frown on his face. “Eddie, it sounds a whole lot like the 118 was invited, this is probably some sort of team thing. Not so sure I should be there.” he said, face pinched. Eddie grinned as he pulled out his phone, scrolling through the elaborate group text that had set this all up, still wrapped around Buck easily. 

“Well, Bobby invited all of us.”

“See, that’s what I’m—“

“And then he told us all that he was bringing Athena, since she had the night off.”

Buck frowned as he looked over his shoulder, brows pinched, looking over Eddie’s hand as Eddie scrolled through. “Okay…”

“And then Hen said she was bringing Karen, which basically made it a double date. And then Chim said that he would be bringing a date.”

“Eddie—“ Buck sighed, turning fully in Eddie’s arms, his own hands finding their way to Eddie’s hips. Eddie put up a finger to stop Buck’s complaint, pressing his phone against the side of Buck’s face. “And then Hen said, and I quote, ‘Diaz, you better bring whoever’s makes you keep smiling at your phone’. So. You’re coming with me.”

Buck might have thought he was being nonchalant, in the way that he looped his thumbs through the belt loop of Eddie’s jeans, humming like he wasn’t really interested, but Eddie could see the way the corner of his mouth tilted up, looking at Eddie through his eyelashes in a way that should be absolutely illegal.

“You were smiling at your phone?” Buck asked, and Eddie actually laughed, the heavy moment broken as he nodded his head, locking said device before tossing it onto his bed. “For like weeks, Buck. For a while I was getting away with it, saying that they were just pictures of Chris, but right after my parents visited, Pepa came to the station and… woah, Buck.” 

Eddie’s voice immediately softened as he looked back to Buck, feeling the way that the demon had tensed up as he stilled in Eddie’s arms, his jovial tone replaced by one of genuine worry. “Hey, hold on, no, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have spoken for you.” he started, thumbs trailing over Buck’s cheekbones, chewing on his lip as Buck leaned into his touch. He really thought he had read the situation properly, and he had been dying to introduce Buck to the rest of his life, but… “If you don’t want to come with us, you don’t have to. I’m sorry if I came on a little strong, I don’t want to pressure you, I just—“

“What if they don’t like me?” Buck said softly, staring resolutely at Eddie’s chin—looking anywhere to avoid direct eye contact, Eddie realized after a moment, and was absolutely floored for a moment (not like Buck? How could anyone not like Buck?) before he could take stock of the question. 

He slipped one hand down the side of Buck’s face to tilt his chin back, thumb resting at the corner of his lips as Buck finally met his gaze again. “Buck, these people are my family, more than my actual parents are. They’re important to me, and they are absolutely going to love you, because I—you are very important to me too. And because Chris loves you, and honestly I think they like Chris more than they like me.” Eddie said, nearly tying his tongue to avoid a misstep as Buck smiled at him. Either he didn’t notice Eddie’s slip up or he was gracious enough not to mention it—Eddie wasn’t sure which one it was, but he wasn’t about to look that gift horse in the mouth. “You’re sure they won’t mind me coming? You’re sure _you_ don’t mind?” 

“There is nothing that I want more.” Eddie said with a grin, leaning in for a proper kiss, more soothed than anything when he felt Buck return the gesture. “Now materialize a shirt or something, I don’t need the entire bar staring at… god, how the fuck do you have an eight pack? How is that even possible?”

“Demon, Eddie.”

“Right.”

\--

Honestly, the only thing more hilarious than seeing Buck in his ‘suck up to the parents’ routine was seeing Buck try to slide into ‘comfortable normal person’ and impress his friends. Mostly because Buck really, really didn’t have to try. 

Buck had shoved himself into a nice enough button down shirt (“Eddie, is this nice or douchey?”), pushed his hair back, and grinned in that way that made his beauty mark (“Birthmark, Eddie, don’t be a sap,” like he wasn’t blushing) crinkle up. 

(Eddie, on the other hand, had indeed dressed in those jeans that Buck had mentioned earlier. The look that crossed Buck’s face when Eddie got up to grab the first round was worth everything.)

Buck had been… not clingy, but affectionate, from the moment they stepped out of Eddie’s truck, hand laced with Eddie’s easily as he was tugged into the bar. They weren’t the first ones there by far, approaching something closer to ‘fashionably late’, most of the 118 already crammed into a corner booth. 

Eddie had felt a little… something, warming in his chest, when he walked in and saw Buck wave, this shy little thing that Eddie wouldn’t have placed on him for a hundred years. He wouldn’t have admitted it in a hundred years, but. Butterflies. Was this what butterflies felt like?

 _God,_ Buck was so fucking cute. 

“Everyone, this is Buck, Buck, this is Hen and Karen, Kinard and Bosko, Bobby and Athena, and… wait, where’s Chim? Bosko, be nice.” Eddie scolded, gesturing vaguely threateningly at the blonde in question at the same time as Hen started scooting everyone down, giving the newbie of the group (Buck, not Eddie) the coveted end spot of the booth.

“So, Buck, Eddie has been annoyingly vague with the details, tell us about yourself! How did you and Eddie meet?” Hen was, as per usual, the instigator; Eddie had endured enough of the torment over the past few months, his cheeks didn’t even heat up—but Buck was bright red as he looked over to Eddie, clearly out of his depth. “I haven’t really told them anything. You’re so much better with the romantic details.” he said with a smile, because he _had_ been vague. He hadn’t said shit about how he and Buck had actually met, just that Buck worked at Chris’ school.

Partially because he liked to have some privacy. Partially because he was a terrible, _terrible_ liar, and he knew full well that the odds of catching himself in his own lie was very, very high. 

So, what better way to make sure he stuck with a story than having Buck come up with the story?

“We actually met in a bar.” 

Or maybe Buck was going to tell the truth. That worked too.

“Which, super cliche, but um… yeah. Met in a bar, I made the first move, thank you very much. Had a few drinks, went for a walk, we got to talking, and he was just so… good.” 

“So, good, drunk Eddie is what won you over?” Hen asked, her usual teasing grin replaced with something aimed at Eddie, fond, familial, making Eddie preen in a way he hadn’t before. Buck let out a bark of a laugh at that, shaking his head as his hand found Eddie’s on the table. “No, drunk Eddie talking about how much he loved his kid is what won me over. I just… I don’t know, I knew then and there.”

An easy quiet kind of passed over the table, and Eddie felt his face flush bright red as even Athena looked at him, the knowing smile on her face saying more than Eddie cared to read into. Taking another sip from his drink, Buck shrugged, a half smile on his face as he leaned nudged Eddie with his shoulder easily.

“Eddie probably knew later on. Or maybe the next morning. Once he, you know, had a nap and drank some water. Or actually,” he said, starting to laugh himself. “actually, maybe even later than that. Did you all know I had to meet his parents before he realized we were dating?”

The easy mood melted into something more as the table burst into laughter, and Eddie didn’t even care if it was at his expense—he was over the moon.

Eddie might have been trying his best to communicate (telepathically or otherwise) that Buck was fine, he was doing good, he didn’t need to be so damn nervous, but as per usual his fears proved to be unfounded in the first ten minutes. After the initial, slightly stilted, downright awkward introductions and greetings, Buck melted into the crew like he belonged there, like he was one of the team, like he was part of the family. 

It wasn’t long before he was moderating a very heated discussion between Bosko and Hen on the latest and greatest prank war that had erupted at the station. It was something that Eddie had been painfully aware of, even if he was merciful excluded from (Eddie had promised to cover two of Bosko’s shifts in exchange for immunity, and Bosko had, in turn, nearly decapitated Chim when he suggested something involving firecrackers and Eddie’s locker), but it was hilarious watching the both of them lean further over him and over the table as a whole to try and make their points to Buck as to who was winning and why.

Buck, meanwhile, looked like he was having the time of his life, agreeing when he was asked and being a completely sarcastic little shit every other sentence; he was in that sweet spot as Hen started to laugh, shoving Buck’s shoulder, and Eddie was hit with a sudden pang of want. Buck didn’t just look good, he looked happy, something that Eddie had become all too accustomed to seeing.

Buck deserved that. He deserved to be happy. Fuck, Buck deserved _everything_.

“Alright, I’m going to get another beer, Eddie, you want a refill?“

Eddie was pulled out of his mental zen when Buck slid against him, standing up outside the booth, leaning over to grab Eddie’s now empty glass and pressing a quick kiss to his lips. It was nothing crazy—a barely there brush of the lips, a small sign of affection that still sent his heart into overdrive, and Eddie realized (not for the first time) that he may, indeed, be fucked.

“Sure, if you’re going anyway. Thanks Buck.”

Buck was still smiling as he pulled back, face pink as Bosko and Kinard both cheered him on; even Bobby was laughing, playfully smacking Kinard’s chest. Eddie smiled as he watched Buck glide toward the bar, eyes tracing down the narrow taper of Buck’s waist, disappearing against the swell of his— 

“Eddie.”

He pulled his eyes away as Hen said his name, the look on her face nearly identical to the one on Athena’s, staring at him like they were in on some big secret.

Huh. Maybe it wasn’t such a secret after all. 

Eddie only waited for a half of a moment before he stood up, ignoring the way Hen laughed at him, getting a wonderful flashback to their first meeting as he followed Buck to the bar. The only difference was this time around, Eddie was super enough to appreciate how beautiful Buck was up close. And he got to do things like slide his arm around Buck’s waist and make a cheesy pickup line, which was even better. 

“So, what’s a guy like you doing in a place like this?” Eddie asked, his grin only growing as the demon in question rest a hand on Eddie’s arm like it was second nature. He moved into Buck’s space easily as Buck laughed, watching as the bartender pulled another round for the crew. “You know, this place is nice, but I think I like your bar better.”

Buck nearly snorted out a mouthful of beer as he took the first glass from the bartender, letting the perky brunette load the other ones up onto a tray as he took a swallow, the expression on his face clearly bemused. “Eddie, you know that bar didn’t actually exist, right? Neither did my loft above it. Kind of a, super sneaky demon pocket dimension type thing.”

Eddie felt his jaw go slack—it was always a little strange (and, okay, a little hot) to be reminded of the power that Buck had. “Wait a minute, so the bed where we were first together—“

He was cut off as a loud cheer from the corner drew his attention, turning his head to where the rest of his crew was sitting, now raising a glass at the door. Eddie was already moving when he caught sight of the final member of their team, instinctively reaching behind him to take Buck’s hand.

“Oh, hey, Chim is here! Buck, c’mon, I want you to meet Chim, I— Buck?”

Eddie blinked, looking over his shoulder as his hand met dead air, the sound of a shattering glass immediately bringing the din of the bar down a few notches as the glass that Buck was holding slipped out of his hand. Eddie’s nice jeans were sloshed with foam and little glitters of glass, but he didn’t even realize it, taking a step back toward Buck—

“Buck? Buck, are you okay?”

—who looked like he had just seen a ghost.

Which would be quite the feat, for a demon. 

“Jesus, Buck, breathe. What’s wrong? Are you okay?“

“Evan?”

Eddie turned around as he heard another voice, confusion as obvious on his face as the shock was on the face of the pretty brunette that Chim was towing into the bar behind him. She had her jacket half off, purse clutched in one hand, looking at Buck like _she_ had seen a ghost. 

Which, combined with her calling him ‘Evan’ (something he had only heard once before, by the way, when Buck was introducing himself to his parents), was painting a picture of something that was going to be objectively wonderful or absolutely terrible.

He turned in time just to see tears start to carve their way down Buck’s cheeks, but there was no mistaking the hopeful lilt to his voice as he spoke.

“ _Maddie?_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DOUBLE CHAPTER DAY YEAH BAYBEEEE anyway the closure will be up later today!
> 
> xoxo flo
> 
> [come scream at me on tumblr.](https://florenceandthemachine.tumblr.com)


	5. the day is done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sun would be rising soon. Maybe he could watch it with Buck.   
> Eddie melted back into his sheets with a contented noise, the thought of doing something so mundane with Buck bouncing around in his skull pleasantly.   
> He flopped his hand out behind him, smile on his face as he reached around for Buck, the expression sinking into one of confusion as he found the other half of his bed empty.   
> Pulling his head up, he frowned, eyes crinkled in sleep and confusion as he looked around the room.  
> “Buck?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all didn't think I would leave you hanging for long, right? 
> 
> HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT

After a few hours and however many drinks later, Eddie couldn’t think of a better place to be than in Buck’s arms, in their bed, in their home. He wasn’t sure when they had switched from beer to something harder, or what exactly they had switched to, but Eddie felt delightfully loose limbed and pliant, melting into Buck’s touch whenever possible, easy to laugh and easy to smile and just feeling better than he had in a long, long time. 

He also wasn’t sure when he started thinking about it as ‘their’ home, but that was okay too.

That good feeling continued as he slowly pulled himself back into the world of the waking, a cold breeze dancing across his back, the low hum coming from his bedroom fan pulling him back to consciousness. He allowed himself a moment to stretch out in his bed, blearily eyeing the clock (it was officially an ’early morning’ instead of a ‘late night’) feeling a smile bloom over his face as every mark that Buck had bitten into his skin twinged in pleasure.

The sun would be rising soon. Maybe he could watch it with Buck. Eddie melted back into his sheets with a contented noise, the thought of doing something so mundane with Buck bouncing around in his skull pleasantly. He flopped his hand out behind him, smile on his face as he reached around for Buck, the expression sinking into one of confusion as he found the other half of his bed empty. Pulling his head up, he frowned, eyes crinkled in sleep and confusion as he looked around the room.

“Buck?”

Sitting upright, he pulled the blanket around him, idly reaching for the first pair of boxers he came across—not sure if it was his own or Bucks—and started the sleepy shuffle out of the bedroom. 

To say that their night had been near perfect wasn’t an exaggeration. Eddie had spent a good amount of the evening between Buck and Maddie, once they had rejoined the group, and once Chim had fully understood what was going on. 

“Alright, Diaz, what exactly am I working with here?” It had probably been a half hour before any sense of calm had returned to the group. Maddie and Buck had both cried, and then hugged, and then they were both yelling (at one another, maybe, or maybe just yelling in general?) and then they were crying again, and then Chim was sliding into the booth beside Eddie. “Because I expected the risk of Maddie giving you the eyes, or Hen, or maybe even Bosko,” Chim had said, ducking Bosko’s smack. “But my date spending the night with your date was unanticipated at best.”

Eddie found himself laughing as Hen preened beside him, gesturing vaguely with his bottle. “Evan Buckley. Maddie Buckley. Chim, you just reunited siblings after… probably a decade? Maybe longer?” he said, taking a swig of his own beer as Hen shook her head. She let out a low whistle, looking the pair over as she clinked her bottle to Eddie’s. “I’ll drink to that.”

“I’m guessing there’s a lot of story there?” Chim murmured, and Eddie felt a small spark of fondness ping off his ribs as he took in the look of genuine concern on Chim’s face. “Aww, who would have thought that rebar knocked some compassion into that egghead of yours!” Eddie cooed, laughing easily at the unimpressed look Chim shot at him. “Story, yeah, there is. Not mine to tell, though. But, uh… from what Buck’s told me, you roped a hell of a lady.” Eddie teased, winking at Buck as the other caught his eye.

For the rest of the night, it was too easy to forget that anyone else was in the bar around them. As far as Eddie was concerned, it was he and Buck.

Buck, who had brought Maddie back to the table, and shyly introduced Eddie as his boyfriend. 

Buck, who had instantly become everyones best friend when he announced all the drinks were on him that evening.

Now, though, he had less than no idea where Buck was. 

No Buck in the living room. 

No Buck in the kitchen. 

He felt himself pouting as he turned around in place, groggily tugging his blanket a little tighter around him, about ready to whine himself back to sleep when he saw the light on the front porch blink into existence, stopping in his tracks to stare out the storm door.

Buck?

Dragging his feet as he walked toward the door, Eddie stifled a yawn as he opened the door, staring at Buck’s back as he yanked the blanket tighter around him. “Buck, what are you doing out here—Buck, hey, what’s wrong?”

“Eddie!” For the second time in less than six hours, Eddie was at a loss, finding himself face to face with a Buck that had obviously been crying. Buck took in a deep breath and turned, smile wavering as he looked up at Eddie, rubbing at his eyes with his forearm as he cleared his throat. “Hey, uh, I was just—um, I was—“

Buck didn’t manage to finish his thought as Eddie sat beside him, tossing his blanket around Buck’s shoulders. Any concern he might have felt was immediately eased as Buck curled closer to him, a breath he didn’t know he was holding rushing out of his chest as Buck sniffed, head resting against Eddie’s shoulder. Eddie, who was now very, very awake, sniffling demon resting in his arms. 

Eddie may not have known what was happening, but that didn’t mean he didn’t know what to do, his arms curling around Buck protectively, letting his chin rest right up against Buck’s head. He took a few deep breaths, closing his eyes halfway as Buck started to calm down, his quickened breaths turning into little hiccups as he tried to speak. 

“Eddie, I can’t do this anymore.” Buck said, his voice wavering, and Eddie suddenly felt every comfort snap, panic bubbling back in his chest again. He felt Buck move in his arms, feeling like he was in shock—had he really misread everything so severely? He had thought , 

“I have to give this back to you. You’ve given me everything, you’ve done so much, I can’t keep this.” 

Eddie blinked as Buck pushed their hands together, staring at the little green gem on the chain, the same stone he had been seeing on Buck’s neck since the night they had first met. He frowned as he felt Buck slide the chain through his fingers, the confusion evident on his face as he felt the stone resting on his palm. It was warm, the chain heavy between his fingers, and he allowed himself another look at Buck as he looked at the gem in the barest hints of the early morning light.

“You’re giving this… back to me.” Eddie said, frowning as Buck nodded, sniffing again. “But Buck, this wasn’t min—“ 

His words died in his throat as he looked at the stone again, realization dawning on his face. He stared at the gem, and then back at Buck, and then back at the gem, and let out a shocked little noise as he closed his fingers around the stone. His hand felt infinitely heavier as it fell against Buck’s thigh, not missing the way that Buck’s face seemed to collapse, curling further into himself as Eddie leaned back. He shrugged the blanket off of his shoulders as he turned to Buck, squaring himself, squinting at him curiously.

“So… you’re not breaking up with me?”

The look that Buck gave him was nothing short of incredulous, confusion mixed with the shadow of what could be humor, and Eddie felt his own mood improve exponentially. “It’s just that, like you said, I didn’t even know we were dating until you met my parents, and that would be a lot of progress waisted if you were going to meet my parents, and then introduce me to your sister, and then do things with your body that I had never dreamed were possible, then dump me.”

“Breaking—what?” Buck choked out a little laugh, and Eddie took a small win in the moment as he watched the corner of Buck’s mouth tilt up through the haze of panic across the rest of his face. “Eddie, I’m telling you I’m giving you your soul back. I can’t—I can’t hold this over you, you’ve—you gave me Maddie back, fuck.” Buck said, breathing starting to come faster. “You gave me my sister back and I can’t hold this over you anymore, I have to give you this. Of course I’ll still be here to protect Chris, but you, you should be free free from me, you should be free to make your own choices, you should take your soul and—“

“What about my heart?”

Eddie allowed himself another win for the evening as Buck stopped hyperventilating and talking himself in circles, looking at Eddie like he had grown a second head. “…what?”

He smiled as he gently knocked his knee against Buck’s loving the bewilderment on his face, long since abandoning any form of subtlety. “My heart, Buck.” He took the chain from his hands and slid it through his fingers, admiring the green gem. He had never noticed how close the shade was to Buck’s eyes—and when it shined in the light, Eddie almost felt stupid for not realizing what, exactly, the gem contained.

Granted, he also couldn’t believe how easy it was to give it right back, but that was what he was doing, reaching to link the chain back around Buck’s neck.

“You have my heart, and I don’t want you to give that back. As far as my soul, you’re not holding that over me. I gave it to you to keep safe, and I trust you to do that, so.”

Buck’s mouth flapped in the breeze for what felt like five minutes, staring down at the gem on his neck, reaching back up to curl his fingers around the gem. Eddie felt his smile soften as he reached back around, tugging the blanket back up Buck’s shoulders, giving him the time that he needed to process everything.

“Eddie—“

“And technically, Chim was the one who gave you Maddie back.”

“Eddie.” Buck’s voice was soft as he reached over for Eddie’s hands, lacing their fingers together, and Eddie’s brow arched into his hairline as Buck turned to face him fully, the familiar green stone now glittering against his neck, where it belonged. Eddie waited as Buck collected his thoughts, opening and closing his mouth a few times before he finally looked back up. “…Eddie, I had my family taken from me. It fucking sucked. And I know that your parents are… a mess, but that doesn’t mean there’s no hope for them.” Buck said, and Eddie felt himself bristle at the very mention of his parents, but his irritation was easily dampened as Buck continued. “I won’t let me be the reason your family is taken away.”

“So don’t. So stay. Stay and be part of our family. Buck, there’s no one that I trust more with my kid than you, and that’s not because of the whole demon thing, it’s because you’re _you_.” Eddie said, stopping Buck’s protest before he even had a chance to vocalize it. He kept his hand moving, sliding it right along Buck’s jaw, tilting his head up and cupping his cheek, thumb tracing over his cheekbone as he repeated himself. 

“Stay.” 

Eddie’s voice was soft as he leaned into Buck’s space, nose brushing against Buck’s, his eyes half closed as his lips finally found Bucks. The kiss was small, and soft, and everything that Eddie had always wanted, but once again—to the surprise of absolutely no one—that was how it always felt when he was with Buck. He felt his pulse quicken as Buck broke the kiss, leaning their foreheads together, feeling more at peace than he had in a long time. Buck was already part of his family—that had happened a long time ago, without Eddie even noticing—but if it took a cheesy sunrise confessional to get Buck to understand that, too, Eddie certainly wouldn’t complain. 

When Buck finally responded, his voice was so soft that Eddie was almost positive he would have a missed it if they weren’t so close. Even then, Eddie could almost hear Buck’s smile in his short, sweet response.

“Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [come scream at me on tumblr.](https://florenceandthemachine.tumblr.com)

**Author's Note:**

> [come scream at me on tumblr.](https://florenceandthemachine.tumblr.com)


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